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As the first examples of mass online gaming began to take root in the late 1990s, including legendary titles like Quake and Everquest, it became evident that a method of communication was required between players. With keyboards tied up issuing reams of commands, the obvious method of communication was verbal, yet the technology of the time was wholly unsuitable for this task. Transmitting packets of voice data from one IP address to another was as alien to late 1990s’ audiences as the concept of shopping on their mobile phones or streaming movies via their TVs.

In hindsight, it should have been obvious that Pokémon Go would be a king-sized hit. Sure, the Pokemon franchise isn’t as big as in its glory days, but it still means something to a huge number of people around the world, while the way the game mixes real and imaginary worlds is incredibly appealing. It’s a game that appeals to our collecting instincts while bringing in social and competitive motivations. Providing Niantic Inc. got the basics right it was always going to be a big success.

Minecraft: now this is a game which has defied convention and transformed a community. Designed by Swedish programmer Markus Person (Notch to his fans in the game), Minecraft allows its players exceptional creative freedom, and its simple graphics and clever design saw it exceed more than one million purchases in under a month. And that was only its beta release.

Have you ever wondered what slows you up? Ever felt your foot is hard to the floor but there’s no additional speed? However much of a hurry you might be in, the internet is managed by routing protocols. These protocols determine the specific paths that traffic needs. Their main aim is to find the shortest route possible. Great you might think, that sounds perfect.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive may have been released in 2012, but it remains one of the most popular eSports games ever. In fact, a look back at some of the stats that surround the eSports industry shows how it has steadily become one of the leaders in both popularity and prize money.